Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda series do not, repeat, not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Miyamoto. (May he continue to make excellent games for the rest of his days.) What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Syrilla and Okam (sorta).

Chapter 22

Cleo saw the first tear and ran as fast as she could toward it while trying to get away from the guardians all around her. Her racing mind was wondering if she was to spend every second of this trial on edge like this. Then she grabbed the tear and it flew from her hand to one of the berries on her flower and the petals grew back. In an instant, everything was completely calm again. She looked around her and saw the guardians resting on the very same spots they were before, as though they had never left.

"The petals on your Spirit Vessel will keep the Guardians at bay, but one will fall every ten seconds. When all the petals fall off, the Guardians will reawaken. Every time you collect a tear, all the petals are restored."

Cleo's heart was still pounding. "Man," she panted. "I'm way out of my comfort zone here!" She examined her vessel closely. There were nine petals... one falls every ten seconds. That meant she'd have a minute and a half to find each tear. She recounted the berries, there were fourteen more tears to get.

She started her hunt for them. It wasn't very hard, she found some light fruit that summoned beams of light on the horizon, pointing straight up into the sky, which acted like beacons, leading her to the tears. Cleo found four more tears (five total) around the town before seeing more guardians that were still awake. They reminded her of poes, floating around in the air and carrying lanterns.

"Avoid the Watchers. Should you get caught in their light, they will call forth the Guardians."

"Figures... shoulda known time's not the only thing against me." Cleo observed their movements carefully and tread her way past them. She had two petals left when she grabbed another tear (six). "That was close." Then she heard a jingling sound and saw a watcher, closer to the ground, heading her way. "Whoa!" She started backing away as it came closer with the dim outer light radius illuminating her. Then she ran and it began to follow her. "I ain't your buddy, go away!"

She tripped and fell. Before she could get up, the bright direct light hit her and there was a raspy screech. Everything turned orange again. Cleo jumped to her feet and continued running to the next closest tear. She narrowly avoided one of the guardians and grabbed it (seven).

"God, this is going to the dogs, here!" Cleo could just imagine hearing Jack say "what dogs? I do not see any". She wished he were here with her (outside of her of course), he would've definitely lightened the mood without even trying.

She had gone ahead and collected three more tears (ten). The whole atmosphere was orange for a second before grabbing that last one, restoring calm. She knew that the less tears there were, the harder it was going to be to find them.

Then Cleo came to some large puddles down the deeper alleys. They appeared to be liquid metal. "Do not touch the water, for it is Waking Water," warned the voice.

"Right, got it!"

Because the alleys were so narrow, it was difficult to avoid stepping in the water. She climbed over crates, sidled against the wall and, one time, made a risky jump over a large puddle. Cleo got three more tears (thirteen) and the next one was on an awning, out of reach. Nearby was a crate surrounded by Waking Water. The water rose and fell like the tide, up until it almost overflowed the top, then down until it completely seeped into the ground, then up again. Cleo had to wait it out, then push the crate. She could only shove it a foot or so before she was forced to back away and wait again. After the tedious chore, she climbed on top before the water came back.

Cleo reached over the awning and got the tear (fourteen). Her wail wobbled with her body when she lost her balance. She threw out her hands and they hit the wall, stopping her from a dreadful splash, her toes clinging onto the crate. She watched, sweating, for the water to disappear. She dropped down on the ground and ran off.

After a full frustrating minute and a half of searching, she finally found the last tear right in front of a robed guardian, just as it woke up. It pulled out its blades but didn't come after her. It seemed to be waiting for Cleo to move, like it was daring her to get the tear from it. "So that's how it's gonna be is it?" she asked.

They stared each other down like two gunmen waiting for high noon... She needed to be fast... if she didn't make it... ... ...Cleo shot forward and the guardian began to bear down upon her... ...It swung down its blades... about to make a hit... ... ...

... ... ...Cleo looked up and could see the guardian back on his post. She had done it, she got all fifteen Sacred Tears.

"Well done Cleo... now return to the Trial Gate."

"Finally!" Cleo looked at the still guardian and pulled a few funny faces at it. Laughing, she turned around... and stepped into a tiny, unnoticeable, puddle. Everything went to hell again. "CRAP!" Not bothering to look back, she used every last ounce of energy to run all the way to the gateway. It was like being in a nightmare, being chased by virtually invincible enemies, with a wavering shadow getting closer and closer to her with every step. The guardians were catching up to her, swarming her. She was ten feet from her exit, and they were half as close. She executed a mighty leap...

...She made it.

The fifteen berries glowed and the tears shot out of them into the flower. It closed up into a bud and swelled in size. When it rebloomed, a bright light emerged and took the shape of the two pieces of the Skribal Sword. Then another flash of light...

Cleo suddenly found herself back inside the throne room, but she didn't seem to be entirely back. She could see she was still in the Silent Realm. She looked at the throne and gave out a startled gasp. There was one more guardian sitting there, awake and looking right at her, but there was something different about it. It stood up. "... ... ...I have been hoping to meet you face to face, Cleo Hayster..."

Cleo was stunned. "You? You're one of the guardians?"

"I am not just a Guardian, child. Once, I was a Dark Interloper and... ...the first Twilight King..." He reached up to his mask and slowly took it off. He had a painted, red and blue face and mis-matched eyes (green and red) with yellow scleras.

"...Oni..."

"You may not have realized it, but I have been watching you, ever since you were able to wield this magic blade. For a long time, I have waited for someone who would be truly worthy of it. But the Skribal Sword cannot accept anyone who is any less worthy than myself. Since the birth of the Twilight Realm, no one was noble enough to be accepted by this weapon... until now."

Cleo remembered back when Scervo took it from her, it rejected him. It would only accept Cleo, because it saw her as someone as worthy as Oni himself? This was overwhelmingly mind numbing. "Sir I..." she looked down. "I'm not-I mean... You think I'm your equal?"

"Do you not think you are?"

"No..."

Oni chuckled. "I will be honest with you. I did not think that the one who would one day wield the Skribal Sword would be the same little girl I saw just a month ago. But I knew you were special when I watched you destroy the Majora's Mask. And now our paths have crossed again, this time with a greater purpose."

"Oni, why were you waiting for someone to wield the Skribal Sword? Where did it come from?"

"That sword... came from me. I created it, modeled it from my own sword. And the reason I was waiting for someone like you was because the one who claims it will be the one who will save the Twilight Realm."

"Save it? From what, Aku?"

"No, from condemnation. Only the wielder of the Skribal Sword can find the eight essences and use their power to lead my people along the path of redemption. It will be through you that all the shadow people will be truly purged of their ancestors's past sins."

"Yeah, well that path that has now obviously been given to me was all fine and dandy at first... Except there's one problem. I was also manipulated by that melanic freak of nature. And I can't even kill him with this sword. I mean, look at it."

"Yes, about Aku. He does pose a terrible threat, and I doubt he will stop there. After the Twilight Realm, more than likely, he will reach Hyrule and try to claim it next."

"He just doesn't know when to stop!" Cleo growled.

"There is still a way you can stop him, Cleo. The Skribal Sword, if you please." Cleo held the broken sword out and it floated over to him. "Not only shall I reforge the blade for you... its powers will be given one more expansion." The two pieces placed themselves together and Oni summoned a hammer. He slammed it down on the broken blade repeatedly until it was whole again. "Now for the final touch." He pulled out his own sword. "My sword has the blessings of the gods." In a flash, it turned into a rune. "With this, the Skribal Sword will have the same blessing. Do not equip it until you are ready to face Aku." He took Cleo's hand and gave her the Rune of Oni.

"...Thanks Oni."

"The sword alone will not be enough to defeat Aku. You still need Jack to guide you... Continue listening to him... he will be rejoining you shortly."

"I will."

Oni smiled. "I am counting on you." Cleo felt herself dissolving away from the Silent Realm.

Cleo opened her eyes and found herself on the floor. She got up and looked around. She was still in the throne room, but it had changed. There was a major remodel to the throne to resemble flames. Aku must've done this. "We are back, Cleo." She looked up and smiled. Floating before her was Jack. "I am glad to know that you have made it through in one piece."

"I wouldn't have made it without you. And Jack, we actually have another shot at beating Aku."

"Yes, I know. While I was inside your mind, I saw and heard everything you did in the Silent Realm."

"So I don't need to fill you in?"

"Well, literally, you cannot fill someone that is not all there... But I do know what you mean." Cleo giggled at that. "Aku is powerful. It will not be easy to defeat him. Do you think-no. Do you know you are ready to face him?"

"Yes! This time yes! But first things first, I need to help Finn and Midna. And Scervo too, he might be in trouble."